L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I have another review for all of you today. I'm going to start a discussion on another niche fragrance. One of the best parts of going on the fragrance journey is to sample fragrances. And I hope my reviews help you come to a decision on what to sample, what to buy and what to avoid. For those who don't know, I have specific standards for reviewing and rating fragrances. Oh, and what I write is purely my opinion, and not fact that is set in stone. Thanks in advance for reading.

Today's fragrance is L'Air Du Desert Marocain by Tauer Perfumes

For those who don't know, Andy Tauer is an independent perfumer (who sells his perfumes at MIN New York). His perfume line received a lot of respect from the fragrance community after his fragrance L'Air Du Desert Marocain (LDDM, in short) was hyped by the community on the forums, social networks and youtube.

Is this fragrance as good as it was made out to be or is it a classic example of a fragrance that is victim of over-hyping?

Scent 4/5

This scent is spicy, aromatic, floral (with rose) with a woody base. Far from a clean smell, but an intentionally dirty smell. Tauer envisioned the winds of a Morrocan desert blowing toward him as he stands at a terrace, and below, a town with several bakeries creating a pleasant smell of baked goods traveling across the air.

This fragrance is warm and dry, redolent of a desert night. It's dirty and dusty, smells like soil and sand, but that's the point of the fragrance. It's a desert. That's part of the atmosphere. Dirty not as in putrid, but rather as describing of nature.

I feel that the amber note is overpronounced, and in the drydown there is a strong vetiver note, where vetiver completely takes over. While the amber note is quality, and the vetiver note is one of the best vetiver notes I ever smelled, both of those heavy notes lack accompaniment, so of all notes, they stand out the most. I usually prefer notes like amber and vetiver to be part of a fragrance, but not the main parts. Yes, there is ambergris in the drydown, but it's subtle.

However, through most of the longevity of LDDM, a vanilla note is present and it is a quality vanilla note, along with a few other sweet spices that give it a gourmand vibe. This, in my opinion, is what prevented this fragrance from becoming stale and too focused. It supplemented what the fragrance didn't have. The vanilla note is by far, this fragrance's greatest strength. It smoothened an otherwise sharp and shrill fragrance. Best of all, it used vanilla the right way. It used a very small (but readily detectable) amount of it, instead of using vanilla as a crutch like some fragrances do.

The notes transition excellently and it shows the amount of time and dedication Tauer put into perfecting this.

Originality 4.5/5

While I cringe at many of the fragrances that claim to envision a certain atmosphere just to promote sales, but this one actually does. It takes you to an entirely different world. It's very easy for me to imagine exactly what Tauer described, watching a small town on a terrace at night with the wind of the desert in the distance pushing toward you. This is more than a scent to be packed and bottled. It's a portrait, and it's a painting.

Sure, there are fragrances out there that use the notes in this, but not with this structure and organization. It's not something so bizarre that it's completely different from anything ever made, but the small details show a meticulous effort to make this something that is still significantly different than most of the stuff out there.

Versatility 2/5

This is Desert Marocain's greatest weakness. This is harder to wear during warmer weather. The high projection will be too shrill for some people to handle. I definitely don't think this is tame enough to wear during work (but if you do, wear very little of it). The average consumer could very well find this too unconventional. I don't think the younger generation, 15 to 25, will appreciate this one (though I'm in my early 20's and I appreciate it).

People around you may not appreciate this as much as you do, especially the ones that prefer fresh, fruity, aquatic and safe colognes. This fragrance does give a dirty soil and rock vibe which will turn people off. And it would be easy for some people to see this fragrance as smelling like a cheap incense stick. If you are looking to wear a dirty unclean woody masculine scent, this definitely is much better than most of the designers out there.

Most people, maybe 99% of people, won't take notice of the detail and sophistication that went into this. This stuff is very masculine and would have had a greater home in the 70's and 80's. But in the end, this isn't a fragrance like maybe Armani Code that a young guy could wear to get compliments from women. It's a fragrance that you wear because you like it. It's more of a fragrance you want to smell than smell like. You wear it because you appreciate it, and not to please people around you. This is not to say it will offend a lot of people (as long as you don't spray too much).

To me, it's not something I would wear daily (and I'm guessing that many of you probably wouldn't wear this daily either), but I would wear it when I'm in the mood for it. And when I'm in the mood for it, I love it. Even having the atomizer by my side to smell and it elevates my mood. Smelling the atomizer is pleasurable, but wearing it is an entirely different thing.

Projection 4.5/5

The projection on this is very loud at the opening, one of the strongest out there. So, you should probably wait a little while before leaving the house after you apply this. The projection is very loud for an hour, but after an hour, it gets softer and smoother, but still projects very well. 6 or 7 hours in and still projects just like it did during the 2nd and 3rd hour. For this reason, you only need to spray once or twice and that's all you need for the day. I don't recommend spraying 3 or more, unless your skin is very bad at projecting scents.

Longevity 5/5

This gets excellent marks on longevity, and it develops well throughout it. It's very interesting to analyze how it changes over time. This lasts over 10 hours. If you spray at 8AM, it will likely take until 6PM until it starts getting close to the skin and slowly fades away. This means once you decide to wear LDDM for the day, you can't wear anything else.

Value 4/5

You are paying $120 for 50ml. Yes, there are some designer fragrances that I feel are better for 2/3 the price, but compared to many niche fragrance, this is cheap. Most niche fragrances are $150+ (many of them in the $200-300 range). And this fragrance is not only a good value because it's relatively cheap. It's not just good for the price, but it's quality juice regardless of the price.

The ML to price ratio is ideal. Tauer could have included 100ml and charged $200+ for it, but he knew that many people are on a budget and people with big collections may never need more than 50ml of any fragrance. Even if it were $200+, it would still compete very well in that range as it already surpasses a number of fragrances in that range.

Is this worth buying? It depends. If you are someone who doesn't want to own a lot of fragrances, but just wants something that's versatile that people the people around them will love, I can't say this is a must-buy. But if you are working on a big collection, already have versatile scents (maybe, you've grown bored of many of them) and you want to give it something that it doesn't already have, then this is a great value.

Overall Rating: 4/5
(on a niche scale; not an average)

This is not for conventional minds or people who want to stay on the safe side. This is for people with broad minds who want to expand beyond their comfort zone. This fragrance is essentially what niche is, to challenge you with something bold, daring and original, where many of the designer fragrances may have started to bore you. Many people who are non-Basenoters won't understand the artistic value of this masterpeice, and they won't care for it. And that's too damn bad for them because LDDM is a fragrance that will find a great place in the homes of many people who do relish a challenge.

LDDM is a masterpeice. It's a work of art that would rather sacrifice some utility than destroy the purity of it's concept. Any flaws this fragrance has isn't a mistake in design, but rather a natural consequence of such bold vision and artistic dedication.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Thank you noirdrakkar for your detailed review. I agree that this is a masterpiece. I also get a heavy dose of patchouli and benzoin in this. Do you agree or did it seem different to you?
Interesting, in spite of its harsh (to some) and loud opening, LDDM is one of the most introspective and evocative scents to me. I have it in its original packaging and I treasure it in my wardrobe.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I think you said it perfectly when you summed it up as;

Originally Posted by noirdrakkar

LDDM is a masterpeice. It's a work of art that would rather sacrifice some utility than destroy the purity of it's concept. Any flaws this fragrance has isn't a mistake in design, but rather a natural consequence of such bold vision and artistic dedication.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

i like your review its good info. i want to try this but some comments have turned me off, just like the one you mentioned about not being something you can wear to often. I actually think that depends on the person you are and the kinds of notes you prefer. i think this one is not for me from what i keep reading and reviews like yours are very helpful. it would be interesting if someone on the forum actually wears this often. thanks for the review.

Any opinions I post here about frags only reflect MY PERSONAL TASTE and only my personal preference which could change at any moment.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Originally Posted by Renaissance_Man

Thank you noirdrakkar for your detailed review. I agree that this is a masterpiece. I also get a heavy dose of patchouli and benzoin in this. Do you agree or did it seem different to you?
Interesting, in spite of its harsh (to some) and loud opening, LDDM is one of the most introspective and evocative scents to me. I have it in its original packaging and I treasure it in my wardrobe.

Actually, as I smell my arm now, I do get some patchouli now that you mention it.

Benzoin is like vanilla, right? If so, then yeah, a vanilla note.

Originally Posted by Partario

I think you said it perfectly when you summed it up as;

...

A fantastic fragrance, and a great review. Good job!

Thanks. Yeah, I italicized that part to put more emphasis on that part.

Originally Posted by Stayclose

i like your review its good info. i want to try this but some comments have turned me off, just like the one you mentioned about not being something you can wear to often. I actually think that depends on the person you are and the kinds of notes you prefer. i think this one is not for me from what i keep reading and reviews like yours are very helpful. it would be interesting if someone on the forum actually wears this often. thanks for the review.

Yeah, the versatility is something you can work around by spraying at certain parts of your body, trying it in different weather conditions, etc. But IMO, it's more of a fragrance to smell than it is one to wear. It's worth sampling and trying a decant of, but blind buying a full bottle, no.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Yes, benzoin and vanilla can smell alike in their sweetness although benzoin to me is more ambery and can be powdery. I don't doubt that they're used in conjunction with each other.

Those who would like to try a "more wearable" LDDM, might want to sample L'Homme Sage by Divine. It's a different take but the similarities are there--including in the price LOL. Many reviewers state this as well. I found it to be more understated but still the same introspective vibe worthy of its title.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I had 5mls of this which has almost run out and am considering a FB purchase, I got the whole spice accord and was great to be wearing in the cooler months. I believe a light spray can accommodate the warmer weather but its definitely not shy on the projection or longevity

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Really nice review. I can tell you put a lot of time into writing it, and I think the way you review fragrances is good because it can appeal to someone with relatively little fragrance experience as well as those who've been around the block. I think ultimately, if you can shorten your reviews to one paragraph in length, you'll have more success with your audience. I don't mind reading a lengthy review, but I think most people are looking for something concise. Foetidus and Alfarom, two of my favorite reviewers on Basenotes, somehow manage to write great reviews which rarely exceed more than one paragraph. I'm trying to work on this myself, and I've found it's actually more difficult than writing a review of several paragraphs. I think this will come after time, and understanding what's worth explaining and what's not, and what can be said in less words. But that's not a criticism of you or your writing--what you're doing is good--and it will get better--it's just something I've noticed about the best reviews and reviewers--they're almost always concise.

I thought what you mentioned about the vanilla note was an interesting point. It's not just the amber that makes LDDM sweet--the amber adds dimension and a thick texture to it--combined with the vanilla, it evokes a sweetness that persists. I hadn't really thought about that before, but sitting here smelling it, I can see what you mean. I also believe the blending of coriander and petitgrain is what makes this fragrance tick, especially for the first couple of hours.

But I disagree with your comment about wearing LDDM in warm weather.

In fact, I find that it's best during the summer. It brings out the dry, dusty desert quality of it which is wonderful in the hot, dry sun. I'd say 75% of the time I wear LDDM is in June, July, and August. And I'm not one of those guys that wears AMen or TV in the summer either, I'm very seasonal in my choices.

I would also probably rate LDDM a 4.5/5. Other than GIT and MI, it was my first niche. Then I got Invasion Barbare. And then Uomo by Lorenzo Villoresi. Man...what a streak. I haven't had that good of a roll in a while!

Hey, keep the reviews coming. And put them in the directory too! Fragrantica's always a good place to add them first (they have unlimited edits so you can change things until you get it perfect) and then you can add them to the BN directory and wait half a year for them to register!

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

L'air is one of the few fragrances that I initially found shocking in a good way. It has an airiness to it without being light. To my nose, it smells like nothing else and is both evocative and mysterious without being difficult or overly challenging. It's a pleasure to wear.

It is one of the few scents where I didn't hesitate to whip out my credit card.

I don't understand calling it a masterpiece yet only giving it 4 stars. What can be better than a masterpiece? I totally agree about it being a masterpiece though. It is, without a doubt, a work of art. If ever I have the opportunity to meet Andy Tauer, I will shake his hand and thank him for creating it.

I'd give it a 5/5 in all categories excluding versatility... but I also think less versatility can lead to more compelling (and, thus, better) scents. In fact, I believe that's a truism beyond fragrance. The jack of all trades is often the master of none. Taking away points for a lack of versatility is like saying "Well Bob, I hired you to be a software designer, and at that job, you're the best, but I have to take away credit from your overall performance because you'd be a terrible doctor."

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Originally Posted by L'Homme Blanc Individuel

I'd give it a 5/5 in all categories excluding versatility... but I also think less versatility can lead to more compelling (and, thus, better) scents. In fact, I believe that's a truism beyond fragrance. The jack of all trades is often the master of none. Taking away points for a lack of versatility is like saying "Well Bob, I hired you to be a software designer, and at that job, you're the best, but I have to take away credit from your overall performance because you'd be a terrible doctor."

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

No two ways about it, LADDM has been one of the most discussed niche fragrances on this site, and for good reasons too. I loved it from the first time I smelled it.

Plus, I had the good fortune to spend some time with Andy in an informal setting, totally out of nowhere one day, half way around the world from his home. What a swell guy, and the sort of fellow who's efforts you'd naturally want to support.

So yep, I recently picked up one of the original square bottles of this stuff.

Like many people here, I don't necessarily buy things with the thought that I'll ever really be draining the bottle, and even if that turns out to be the case with this one, I still doubt that I will ever regret my purchase.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Originally Posted by L'Homme Blanc Individuel

I'd give it a 5/5 in all categories excluding versatility... but I also think less versatility can lead to more compelling (and, thus, better) scents. In fact, I believe that's a truism beyond fragrance. The jack of all trades is often the master of none. Taking away points for a lack of versatility is like saying "Well Bob, I hired you to be a software designer, and at that job, you're the best, but I have to take away credit from your overall performance because you'd be a terrible doctor."

The overall rating was a 4, but the scent was also a 4/5. I found the amber and vetiver notes overpronounced (but some people may love that about the fragrance).

My rating system is a triangulation, because many people ARE looking for that fragrance they can wear everyday.

Ok, what's better than a not-so-versatile artistic masterpeice? An artistic masterpeice that you CAN wear anyday (aka the almighty pineapple stallion).

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I once owned it, but don't think I will ever rebuy it. To me, it's certainly worth a sample, but I think it has much more appeal to people on here than the public at large.

I liked your review, but I would just say that I've worn it in the hot weather and thought it worked pretty well. That said, the opening can be pretty harsh, so you have to let it settle down some imho.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Another great review noirdrakkar. I purchased a bottle of this over the summer and am very happy with it. I actually find it a little more versatile than you do, but I agree - it is not an every-day fragrance (I think I would get tired of it if I wore it more than occasionally anyway).

Other than "almighty pineapple stallion" (lol), Bleecker Street, and Straight to Heaven, it is probably my most complimented fragrance.

A must-try for anyone exploring fragrances. Also, the hand-signed card inside from Andy Tauer is a nice touch.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

At least you got the other things. All I got was amber, and when I tried it on my skin, I got amber multiplied x1000 hide the children.

Hmmm. My gf stole my bottle. I love it on her...

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Regarding wearing LDDM during the summer. I frequently use it as an amber base for the summer months. Basically 3 sprays of a vetiver based frag (such as Sycomore or Mugler Cologne) and 1 spray of LDDM. Works beautifully.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Great review my friend! Let's see, I bought it, always found it good but never loved it, swapped it, kept a decant, realized that the vanilla is just amazing, and now I'm thinking of buying it again. Strangely, I would up it a versatility point and probably drop it half of a "smell" point.

I guess the reason I love this fragrance so much is that I really just don't come across many fragrances that have such a dynamic dry down. I don't sniff as much as other members here, but I stil sample modestly. And while almost every fragrance has layers of top, middle, and basenotes, few transition as gracefully and magically as L'air du Desert Marocain.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I guess my skin just doesn't fit this fragrance. It has serious longevity issues on me. A friend tested it and it lasted maybe 45 minutes on him. My bottle is a good one from Lucky Scent.

Wow. That's crazy. I get over 24 hours out of 3 sprays of LDDM, and that bottle does not have a particularly strong sprayer. I literally get 24 hours. It's there until I shower it off the next day. It doesn't have beastly projection like Interlude Man, but I fond it to have extreme longevity.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I agree with almost everything in your review, except I would give it more 5 ratings. I adore it! It's in my permanent pantheon of really great perfumes, and I never even thought I liked this style of scent until I tried L'Air. A true masterpiece.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

I don't like it.

1. It's too powerful - it dominates a room, draws too much attention and the wearer gets stared at. Embarrassing.
2. The smell peaks into the creosote/turpentine/solvent cleaner area too much for my liking.
3. It's hugely expensive
4. The 'smells like the Moroccan desert' attributed to it is a sales pitch and without any earthly foundation.
5. It's practically unwearable for the reasons above.

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Originally Posted by bgoc

Such a shame Tauer Perfumes don't ship to the UK and as normal UK prices are atleast 30% more than prices from Tauer directly.

Happy to buy a sample of Tauer for somebody willing to forward me a bottle from France. Cheers

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

After buying a decant,it was an instant love with this dry spicy nuclear bomb. On my second day of wearing, i defeated my cousin's Tom Ford TV loaded arm in projection and might. It was like a dream start, i enjoyed every drop of this juice so i ordered a decant again. Again the start was great but suddenly one fine day everything changed and this beast turned into a non pleasing chemical disaster. After each spray my optimism failed miserably and the fizz was missing. I thought about numerous reasons like humidity, temperature , surroundings around the decant etc, and then thought that the packaging was not up to the mark which resulted in moisture in the bottle.

Definitely upset it took me some days to come to terms as i saw a masterpiece in this creation. Then i encouraged and motivated myself to purchase a full bottle.

And after making the call i am still undecided about the juice as this is still not matching with the first decant. Opening of the juice is what bothers me a lot which was not a problem with my first decant , dry down is still close to perfect.

I was away from this forum for about 2 months but thought hundred times to post my sad tale and look for answers here. So today after this post i am finally sharing this. Opening is the problem. Any answers?

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Originally Posted by Spoombung

I don't like it.

1. It's too powerful - it dominates a room, draws too much attention and the wearer gets stared at. Embarrassing.
2. The smell peaks into the creosote/turpentine/solvent cleaner area too much for my liking.
3. It's hugely expensive
4. The 'smells like the Moroccan desert' attributed to it is a sales pitch and without any earthly foundation.
5. It's practically unwearable for the reasons above.

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Yeah , I've looked more than a few times for the magic so many others find in LADDM and I've always failed to find it. The superlatives just go on and on for this fragrance, "masterpiece" over and over. A real head scratcher for me. I always find it so ordinary.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Originally Posted by divinesoul

After buying a decant,it was an instant love with this dry spicy nuclear bomb. On my second day of wearing, i defeated my cousin's Tom Ford TV loaded arm in projection and might. It was like a dream start, i enjoyed every drop of this juice so i ordered a decant again. Again the start was great but suddenly one fine day everything changed and this beast turned into a non pleasing chemical disaster. After each spray my optimism failed miserably and the fizz was missing. I thought about numerous reasons like humidity, temperature , surroundings around the decant etc, and then thought that the packaging was not up to the mark which resulted in moisture in the bottle.

Definitely upset it took me some days to come to terms as i saw a masterpiece in this creation. Then i encouraged and motivated myself to purchase a full bottle.

And after making the call i am still undecided about the juice as this is still not matching with the first decant. Opening of the juice is what bothers me a lot which was not a problem with my first decant , dry down is still close to perfect.

I was away from this forum for about 2 months but thought hundred times to post my sad tale and look for answers here. So today after this post i am finally sharing this. Opening is the problem. Any answers?

Anyway a very good post as always!

I first purchased a decant of this almost 1 year ago. I liked it but wasn't looking for this type of scent at the time. Since then I have kept it in the back of my mind as a "must own" at some point in time. I remember being impressed with both the smell and longevity.

The bottle I currently own was purchased close to 3 weeks ago without having sampled it again since almost 1 year ago. It did very little to impress me on my skin.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Through the years after sampling other amber heavy fragrances I lost my appreciation for LADDM. It's a good example, but there are a lot of really good amber's on the market. Still like, but I just don't love it anymore.

Re: L'Air Du Desert Marocain (Review) by Noirdrakkar

Sounds like great stuff, and I have a sample coming (among others) from Perfumed Court.
Most speak of good longevity with LDDM, though one of my correspondents here tried it and felt it wasn't so great.

----- People laugh at me because I'm different.... I laugh at them because they're all the same -----